As the rear steering made car feel somewhat aloof at the limit, this sleek wedge can play either a rich grand tourer or a hunkered-down sports coupe, depending on which of the six driving modes you’ve selected (Eco, Comfort, Normal, Custom, Sport, and Sport+). A general sense of under steer tell again you not to push too hard, yet the LC always sense crisp and poised, thanks in part to its adjustable dampers. Even in the firmest setting, the LC soaks up spotty pavement while keeping the body level in corners. And the electrically aided helm is super quick and accurate, conveying a pleasing amount of road texture from the front contact patches. Against the standard rack’s 13.0:1 ratio, the active setup can relax up to 13.6:1 or quicken to a sharp 9.8:1.
The driving modes also regulate the volume of the 471-hp 5.0-liter V-8’s fascinating soundtrack—up to 88 decibels at full whack in Normal mode—as well as how much snap go with the 10-speed automatic’s elegantly orchestrated shifts, whether carried out by the transmission’s electronic brain or via the pleasurably hefty magnesium paddles on the steering wheel.
Sport mode is one’s favored setting for its
- Balance of improvement, noise, and heightened responsiveness.
- However, following drives in a standard model, on 20-inch wheels and devoid of the active- and rear-steering gear, make known the base system to be yet better suited to the LC’s overall behavior.
- Along with having a somewhat more compliant ride, the standard car’s slower steering and lack of rear steering lend it a peacemaker, more accepted in handling balance and without retreating its tangible road feel.
Regardless of the LC’s illustrative and auditory drama, car’s lateral grip (0.93 g) and 156-foot stop from 70 mph are undistinguished at this point. And its 13.0-second quarter-mile pass at 112 mph is extensively off the pace of other high-end extravagance coupes, such as a comparably priced Jaguar F-type or two-door Mercedes-Benz S-class, not to mention the lesser Lexus RC F. Cruised at a solid 29 mpg on 200-mile highway loop—3 mpg more than the LC500’s EPA highway estimate—yet averaged only 17 mpg in a day-to-day use.
